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Who Bombed Judi Bari?

As an activist, Judi Bari popularized protests against clear-cutting together with EarthFirst! in the 1980's. On May 24th, 1990 in Oakland, CA, a bomb explodes in Judi's car and she suffers debilitating injuries alongside confidant Darryl Cherney. Produced by Darryl Cherney, this film chronicles a movement, the false accusations and court struggles that follow the blast leading to a surprising resolution.

This is a raw, personal and at times abrupt film, with a protagonist and story vitally important to American justice and the struggle for the environment. Judi Bari, who passed away in 1997, was an environmental and social justice activist who popularized protests against clear-cutting (e.g. at. Headwater Forests) together with the organization EarthFirst! in the 1980's and '90's. At times, she (and others) proceeded despite threats of death and violence. Then, on May 24th, 1990 in Oakland, CA, a bomb explodes in Judi's car and she suffers debilitating injuries along with confidant, and the film’s producer, Darryl Cherney. In the aftermath FBI and local police accuse the team of bombing themselves. It chronicles the rise of a powerful movement as well as the circuitous court cases that followed the blast. Chock full of archival news footage, interviews and statements by Bari, viewers follow a path from non-violent eco protests to an ostensible assassination attempt on Judi's life with an associated cover-up - ending with a surprising resolution.

Screening: March 2, 2012 at New People Cinema. World Premiere, commemorating the 15th anniversary of Judi Bari’s death on March 2, 1997.